NEW CITY, NY — A Spring Valley man was sentenced to 12 years in state prison after pleading guilty in connection with a 2025 crash that killed a 4-year-old girl and seriously injured two others, authorities said.
Thomas E. Walsh II, the district attorney for Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, announced that Axel I. Lopez-Santiago, 41, of Spring Valley, New York, was sentenced in Rockland County Court before Judge Kevin F. Russo. Lopez-Santiago pleaded guilty to the entire eight-count indictment.
Prosecutors said the incident occurred June 14, 2025, as Lopez-Santiago drove east on Old Nyack Turnpike at a high rate of speed. Authorities said his vehicle crossed the double yellow line into oncoming traffic before leaving the roadway and driving onto a sidewalk near the entrance to Kennedy Park.
Investigators said the vehicle struck at least three pedestrians before crashing into a tree. Police arriving at the scene found Lopez-Santiago behind the wheel as the sole occupant of the vehicle.
All three victims were transported to local hospitals. A 4-year-old girl later died from her injuries, while a 31-year-old man and a 5-year-old boy suffered serious physical injuries, authorities said. The investigation determined that Lopez-Santiago was intoxicated from alcohol consumption at the time of the crash.
“Today’s sentence cannot undo the unimaginable pain caused by the defendant’s reckless actions, nor can it bring back a four-year-old child whose life was tragically cut short, but I hope that it brings some measure of justice and closure,” Walsh said in a statement. “Our hearts remain with the victim’s family and all those who were injured.”
Prosecutors had recommended the maximum sentence on each count, including longer prison terms for aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and assault charges. Russo ultimately sentenced Lopez-Santiago to 4 to 12 years in prison on the counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter, to run concurrently. He also imposed two consecutive six-year prison terms for second-degree assault, resulting in a total sentence of 12 years in state prison.
The judge also sentenced Lopez-Santiago to 1⅓ to 4 years in prison for felony driving while intoxicated and 364 days in jail for reckless driving, both to run concurrently with the other sentences.
Authorities said Lopez-Santiago had a prior conviction for driving while intoxicated in Spring Valley Justice Court in August 2018.
The crash was investigated by the Spring Valley Police Department with assistance from the Ramapo Police Department and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Dominic Crispino and Supervising Assistant District Attorney Sharleen Bailon of the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office. Walsh also commended investigators and prosecutors for their work on the case, calling the investigation “swift and thorough.”
